Crafting Empire: The Archaeology of Craft Production in Vijayanag

Crafting Empire: The Archaeology of Craft Production in Vijayanagara, South India

Wed, April 13, 2011, 7:30 pm

Dr. Carla Sinopoli, University of Michigan

The Vijayanagara Empire dominated Southern India from the 14th-17th centuries. During its peak, Vijayanagara was one of the largest cities in the world. Today the ruins of this magnificent city cover some 400 square kilometers. Learn about Vijayanagara history and archaeology, based on more than 20 years of archaeological research in the imperial capital and its hinterlands, focusing particularly on the lives and product of the non-elite craft producers, who manufactured the magnificent monuments, textiles, metal goods and the quotidian crafts of daily life; particularly how the study of crafts can be used to understand ancient political economies.